“Omicron presents us with the next epidemiological
challenge,” Katharina Reich, co-leader of the country’s new coronavirus crisis
team, said after a meeting between national leaders and state governors. “What
we do know is that omicron is fast and we need to react quickly.”
Austria is in a better position than many other European
countries when it comes to confronting the new variant. Facing a massive surge
of infections in November, the country imposed a three-week lockdown to bring
its daily case numbers down.
As a result of those restrictions, which ended for
vaccinated people on Dec. 12 but remain for those who have not been vaccinated,
case numbers are still dropping.
On Wednesday, the country’s 7-day rate of new infections
stood at 188.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, down from a high of 1,100 per 100,000
in late November.
Despite the country’s current “good position,” Reich said
new restrictions are necessary because omicron “will bring drastic changes to
us as well.”
Starting on Dec. 27, restaurants must close at 10 p.m.,
including on New Year’s Eve. Reich also urged people to rethink their New
Year’s celebrations: “Celebrate New Year’s Eve in small groups,” she said.
In addition, officials said they would impose new limits and
requirements for large gatherings, which will require proof that attendees are
vaccinated or recently recovered.
Indoor and outdoor gatherings without assigned seating will
be capped at 25 people. With assigned seating and masks, that number rises to
500; with an additional PCR test, to 1,000. Events at which all attendees have
received a vaccine booster dose can handle up to 2,000 people.
Austria also added four European countries — the U.K.,
Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway — to its list of “virus variant areas,”
which comes with stricter entry requirements.
Those who have received a booster vaccine and come with a
recent negative PCR test will be allowed entry from those countries without
quarantining. Austrian and EU citizens who do not meet those requirements will
still be allowed to enter, but will face a mandatory 10-day quarantine.
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